Cambodia Investment Review
UNICEF Cambodia and the International Business Chamber of Cambodia have launched a three-year nationwide partnership to help companies support children’s rights, strengthen youth employability and contribute to Cambodia’s long-term economic development.
UNICEF Cambodia and the International Business Chamber of Cambodia (IBC) have launched a nationwide initiative encouraging companies to consider children’s rights across their workplaces, products, services, investments and wider business operations.
The memorandum of understanding was signed on August 19 by UNICEF Representative Maha Damaj and IBC Chairperson Paul Clements and will run for three years.
The partnership reflects the significant influence that private-sector decisions can have on the lives of children and young people, including through employment practices, workplace policies, technology, environmental impact and community investment.
Businesses Positioned As Development Partners
Under the agreement, UNICEF and IBC will help companies better understand how their operations affect children and identify practical ways to deliver positive and lasting outcomes.
The initiative will focus on:
- Youth skills development and employability
- Child-sensitive workplace policies
- Climate resilience
- Digital inclusion
- Health and well-being
- Private-sector initiatives supporting children and vulnerable communities
UNICEF Representative Maha Damaj said decisions made in boardrooms, factories, offices and workplaces can significantly shape children’s futures.
She added that Cambodia’s business community has an opportunity to drive innovation, create opportunities for young people and contribute solutions to some of the country’s most pressing development challenges.
Supporting Cambodia’s Future Workforce
The partnership also carries a clear long-term economic dimension, with Cambodia’s children and young people representing the country’s future employees, entrepreneurs, consumers and business leaders.
IBC Chairperson Paul Clements said member companies are already actively engaged in areas including education, healthcare, road safety and skills development.
The cooperation with UNICEF will allow the private sector to build on these efforts using UNICEF’s expertise while identifying practical ways businesses can contribute to stronger opportunities and Cambodia’s continued economic development.
A greater corporate focus on education, employability, well-being and workplace inclusion could also help companies respond to Cambodia’s evolving labour-market needs while developing a healthier, more resilient and better-skilled future workforce.
Promoting Child-Friendly Practices Nationwide
The partnership is based on the Children’s Rights and Business Principles, a UNICEF-supported framework designed to guide companies on respecting and advancing children’s rights across the workplace, marketplace, community and environment.
UNICEF and IBC will encourage companies across Cambodia to adopt these principles through awareness-raising events, knowledge-sharing platforms and capacity-building programmes.
This could include helping businesses assess how their employment policies, supply chains, products, services, marketing activities and environmental practices directly or indirectly affect children and families.
The organisations acknowledged that fully integrating children’s rights into corporate operations and decision-making will take time. However, the three-year agreement provides a platform for companies to collaborate on policies, commercial practices and innovative initiatives addressing challenges facing Cambodian children and young people.
The partnership ultimately positions responsible business practices not only as a social commitment but also as an investment in Cambodia’s future workforce, economic resilience and sustainable national development.
